In June 2010, Nathan Hussman was nearly 48 and, by his estimation, about 40 lb. overweight.

“For two years prior to that I was doing absolutely nothing physical,” he says. “I felt like I was an 80-year-old man. I couldn’t pick my daughter up without pain. I had to make some kind of a change.”

So at 8 a.m. on the Sunday of his 48th birthday, he woke up his wife, son and two daughters for a trip to CrossFit Charlotte.

He dragged the family down there and “told them that this is my birthday present—to myself,” he says.

A year later, Hussman is 160 lb.

“It’s just been life changing for me and my entire family,” he says. “I went from not being able to press 35 lb. over my head due to some back injuries to now I can put 155 or so over my head and not skip a beat. And it’s been the same type of effect for my family.”

His 20-year-old son, Cory; his 16-year-old daughter; and his wife all CrossFit. His 10-year-old daughter isn’t yet sold on the idea, but, Hussman says, “She’ll come.”

Cory joins his father for the 6 a.m. class four days a week.

“It’s awesome,” the younger Hussman says. “It’s great to see him getting in shape. It’s a whole lot better now than it was. I like that I can mess around with him every now and then—just doing stuff instead of sitting around and doing nothing.”

And the experience helps them bond, the older Hussman says.

“The results that I’ve seen within myself physically, emotionally, mentally—I see the same effect in my family,” he says. “We bought into the entire CrossFit idea.”

How does an affiliate owner truly convey in words the theories and methodologies of the CrossFit practice to a new client? Many grab at “constantly varied functional movements executed at high… Continue Reading

5 Comments on “The Hussman Family”

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wrote …

WOW! The 'before and after' pictures of the father are amazing! I'm 22yo and it looks like the 59yo has more muscle than me. I wonder what his Fran time is haha

Great job on getting the family involved and congrats on your progress.

But, the form on those deadlifts was not good: rounded backs, hips rising before shoulders, weight too far in front of mid foot. And those KB swings looked bad too. Watch that form guys. And be careful picking up/ setting down the KBs. Squat and deadlift it, don't bend over and lift it with your back.

I know this is not a video demonstrating how to do a WOD or and exercise but form looks bad for guys who have been CrossFitting for a year or so.

How many people injure their backs picking up a kid and putting them in the car seat? - A lot, because they don't use proper form and lift with their backs rather than legs. My dad threw his back out lifting his lunch off the floor, a brown bag lunch.

Heck, look at Bill Murry in that old SNL skit where he played Hercules - "Lift with the back Hercules, lift with the back!"

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